The dairy farming support system: Do the direct payments cause economic inefficiency?

Economic distortions created by the dairy farming support system in Iceland are examined in this paper. Specifically, the impact of the direct payments component of this system is analyzed. The analysis lead to the conclusion that the form of direct payments that has been used is in many ways well-suited to improve dairy farmers' living standards without creating additional social costs in terms of resource misallocation. It follows that it would be socially wasteful, as well as economically detrimental to dairy farmers, to replace this system with an economically less efficient way of providing them with the same amount of financial support.Peer Reviewe

Að hvetja framhaldsskólanemann af stað eftir páskafrí: áskoranir og leiðir fyrir foreldra

Guðrún Ragnarsdóttir, lektor og Súsanna Margrét Gestsdóttir aðjunkt ræddu um áskoranir og leiðir til að hvetja framhaldsskólanemann af stað í náminu eftir páskafrí. Rúmlega 100 þátttakendur hlýddu á erindi þeirra og sendu inn spurningar. Guðrún og Súsanna hafa safnað gögnum undanfarnar vikur sem endurspegla hvað kennarar, foreldrar og nemendur í framhaldsskólum eru að ganga í gegnum á tímum kórónaveirunnar.Óritrýn

The institutional nature of upper secondary education during the COVID-19 pandemic crisisNew experience and changed agency of school leaders

Á vormánuðum 2020 hóf COVID-19 innreið sína. Í kjölfarið var öll staðbundin kennsla í framhaldsskólum færð í fjarkennslu út vorönnina og um haustið breyttist fyrirkomulag skólastarfs ítrekað í takt við síbreytilegar sóttvarnareglur. Markmið þessarar rannsóknar er að öðlast skilning á verkefnum og aðstæðum skólastjórnenda, skólameistara og aðstoðarskólameistara, og samskiptum þeirra við ýmsa hagaðila úr ytra og innra umhverfi framhaldsskólanna á fyrsta ári faraldursins. Jafnframt er leitast við að skoða hvernig niðurstöðurnar speglast í nýstofnanakenningum (e. neo-institutional theories). Leitað var eftir reynslu skólastjórnenda við mjög breyttar aðstæður og breytt umboð þeirra til aðgerða. Byggt var á blandaðri rannsóknaraðferð. Stuðst var við gögn úr tveimur spurningalistakönnunum frá Menntavísindastofnun sem náði til framhaldsskólastigsins alls og sex viðtöl við skólameistara og aðstoðarskólameistara úr þremur framhaldsskólum. Vissir þættir starfsins losnuðu úr viðjum stofnanaramma framhaldsskólans, afstofnanavæddust (e. deinstitutionalised) og breyttust mikið í faraldrinum á meðan áherslur aðila úr ytra umhverfi skóla styrktu stofnanaumgjörð skólanna og drógu úr umboði skólastjórnenda til áhrifa. Rannsóknin staðfestir fyrri niðurstöður um að í sumum tilvikum sé eðlilegt að túlka viðbrögð skólastjórnenda sem viðbrögð stjórnenda skipulagsheilda (e. organizational leadership) og í öðrum tilfellum sem stjórnenda stofnana (e. institutional leadership). Samskiptaform milli ólíkra aðila breyttust og verkefni og verkaskipting þróuðust eftir því sem á leið. Samhliða auknu ákalli kennara um kennslufræðilegan stuðning tóku stjórnendur forystu um vissa tæknilega þætti. Þeir fóru þó ekki út fyrir það umboð sem þeir töldu sig hafa og virtu faglegt sjálfstæði kennara. Mikið álag var á skólastjórnendum og gjá myndaðist á milli starfsfólks að mati viðmælenda, einkum í upphafi faraldursins, sem aftur ýtti undir einangrun í starfi skólastjórnenda. Niðurstöðurnar vekja athygli á eðli skóla sem stofnana annars vegar og skipulagsheilda hins vegar og vekja upp áleitnar spurningar, m.a. um álag, verkaskiptingu og umboð stjórnenda til aðgerða. Þá dregur rannsóknin fram veikleika í samskiptum á milli ólíkra hópa í faraldrinum.In the spring of 2020, the closure of upper secondary schools was authorised, and all on-site teaching was transferred to distance settings due to COVID-19. The schools were closed almost the entire spring semester. In the autumn, the organisation of schoolwork changed repeatedly concurrently with ever-changing regulations. The aim of this study is to gain understanding of the work experience, tasks and the cooperation school principals and assistant principals had with different stakeholders outside and inside the upper secondary schools during the first year of the pandemic and reflect changes in their agency. The results are based on a mixed method, relying on two questionnaire surveys submitted to all upper secondary school staff in Iceland, as well as interviewees with six school principals and assistant school principals from three upper secondary schools. In the light of neo-institutional theories, de-institutionalization in some degree was identified. The findings show that the tasks of the school leaders increased in complexity, and so did the workload. As the pandemic progressed, contact with the external environment, staff members, students and parents increased. At the same time, they had to lead the most extensive changes that have been made to schoolwork to date on top of their traditional working duties. Certain aspects of schooling changed significantly during the pandemic, at least temporarily, while the centralised and institutional-oriented emphases of external stakeholders harmonised with the schools’ institutional framework. Concurrently, school leaders responded either as organisational leaders or institutional leaders. The tasks of school leaders developed during this time. In parallel with the increased call for pedagogical support, they took the lead on certain organisational aspects of the teaching. However, they did not go beyond their agency and thus they respected the professional independence of teachers. There were substantial distances between professionals and a certain gap formed between staff members, especially at the beginning of the pandemic, which fostered isolation of school leaders. The results raise pressing questions about division of labour and mandates, work related stress and professional support. In addition, the article highlights weaknesses in communication between different groups within the school community, at least during the pandemicPeer reviewe

Cascading effect of upper secondary education policy reform : the experiences and perspectives of university teachers

In 2014 the Icelandic government implemented a reform that reduced the time of all academic programs of upper secondary education from an average of four years in duration to three, aiming to increase efficiency in the education system. Drawing on critical policy analysis, this study explores wider consequences of the reform’s enactment for higher education, with reference to the strong connection between the two school levels. Teachers at the University of Iceland were interviewed about perceived changes, if any, in students’ preparation for university studies in the wake of the reform and whether any measures were needed to adapt to such changes. The findings highlight the importance of policy makers considering the interconnectedness of different school levels and the wide-reaching effects of education reforms. They indicate that the policy reform has had consequences in higher education that vary between different academic subjects and disciplines and that there is considerable tension within the University in how to adapt to them. The findings call for further exploration into the content of the academic programs in upper secondary education which may provide valuable information on the interplay between policies that aim for decentralised curriculum-making and efficiency in education systems.Peer reviewe

Evidence-based publications on upper secondary education in Iceland, 2003–2012

Globally, there is a demand for basing education policy decisions and practice on solid evidence. While the same applies in Iceland, some have claimed that there is a dearth of evidence-based publications targeted at education. This article considers this claim by examining the availability and nature of evidencebased publications with a focus on upper secondary education in Iceland. In total, the main characteristics of 316 publications were studied over the period 2003–2012. These publications included peer-reviewed articles, non-reviewed scholarly work (articles and reports), master’s and doctoral theses, external evaluation reports, and innovation reports. The findings reveal a hidden treasure of a number of publications targeted at upper secondary education in Iceland. Some educational fields are still weakly represented in the evidence spectrum, such as vocational studies, and the data collection methods are relatively few. Furthermore, the main stakeholders are isolated from one another to a degree. Such isolation is problematic, as evidence-based publications are intended to inform both policy and practice. Thus, the study suggests an increased need for cooperation among the main stakeholders in upper secondary education.Peer reviewe

The academic–vocational divide in three Nordic countries: implications for social class and gender

In this study we examine how the academic–vocational divide is manifested today in Finland, Iceland and Sweden in the division between vocationally (VET) and academicallyoriented programmes at the upper-secondary school level. The paper is based on a critical re-analysis of results from previous studies; in it we investigate the implications of this divide for class and gender inequalities. The theoretical lens used for the synthesis is based on Bernstein´s theory of pedagogic codes. In the re-analysis we draw on previous studies of policy, curriculum and educational praxis as well as official statistics. The main conclusions are that contemporary policy and curriculum trends in all three countries are dominated by a neo-liberal discourse stressing principles such as “market relevance” and employability. This trend strengthens the academic–vocational divide, mainly through an organisation of knowledge in VET that separates it from more general and theoretical elements. This trend also seems to affect VET students’ transitions in terms of reduced access to higher education, particularly in male-dominated programmes. We also identify low expectations for VET students, manifested through choice of textbooks and tasks, organisation of teacher teams and the advice of career counsellors.</p

Dynamics of change: The upper secondary schools’ responses to ministerial demands for change

Niðurstöður rannsókna á erlendum vettvangi sýna flókið samspil ytri og innri afla sem hafa áhrif á menntabreytingar. Markmið þessarar greinar er að fjalla um kviku menntabreytinga í íslenskum framhaldsskólum og sýn skólastjórnenda og kennara í níu framhaldsskólum á breytingar í kjölfar framhaldsskólalaganna frá 2008 (lög um framhaldsskóla nr. 92/2008) og aðalnámskrár framhaldsskóla frá árinu 2011 (Menntaog menningarmálaráðuneytið, 2011). Greinin er byggð á viðtölum við 21 stjórnanda og 22 kennara í níu framhaldsskólum víðsvegar um landið. Fyrst voru skólarnir valdir með lagskiptu tilviljunarúrtaki. Þá voru stjórnendur skólanna valdir með sömu aðferð, en kennararnir voru valdir af handahófi úr hópi kennara. Viðtölin við skólastjórnendur og kennara eru rædd í ljósi kenninga Coburn (2004) sem skiptir viðbrögðum kennara við ytri kröfum um breytingar í fimm flokka. Flokkarnir eru: Höfnun (e. rejection), aftenging (e. decoupling), samhliða virkni (e. parallel structures), aðlögun (e. assimilation), og inngreyping (e. accommodation). Viðtölin eru einnig skoðuð í ljósi hugmynda Ball, Maguire og Braun (2012) um útfærslu og framkvæmd stefnu (e. policy enactment). Niðurstöður rannsóknarinnar benda til þess að viðbrögð skólanna níu og ólíkra hópa og einstaklinga innan þeirra megi að mestu leyti fella undir fyrrgreinda flokkun Coburn (2004). Til að ná utan um niðurstöðurnar þurfti að bæta við sjötta flokknum sem fengið hefur heitið brautryðjendur (e. pioneers). Sýn og viðhorf stjórnenda og kennara innan sama skóla fór oft ekki saman. Meiri tregða til breytinga kom fram í viðhorfum kennara en í viðhorfum stjórnenda. Niðurstöðurnar sýna mikilvægi þess að stjórnendur, kennarar og menntayfirvöld geri sér grein fyrir fjölbreytilegum viðbrögðum við kröfum menntayfirvalda um breytingar til að skilja og meta stöðuna hverju sinni. Starfsmenning er ólík milli skóla og milli deilda eða sviða hvers skóla. Niðurstöðurnar undirstrika jafnframt mikilvægi þess að skilja þau ólíku öfl sem eru að verki, þannig að yfirstíga megi hindranir og auðvelda breytingar.The emerging literature highlights a complex interaction of diverse actors and social structures influencing educational change. The aim of this paper is to shed light on the dynamics of change in upper secondary education in Iceland and understand how school leaders, on the one hand, and teachers, on the other, see themselves, and other educational actors in their schools, responding to the ministerial demand for change. The findings are based on interviews with 21 school leader and 22 teachers from nine upper secondary schools all over Iceland. The schools were selected on the basis of stratified sampling. The school leaders were also selected based on stratified sampling with regard to the schools’ hierarchical structures. The teachers were, however, randomly selected on the basis of classroom observation conducted in in the schools. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data (Braun and Clarke, 2006) and the main focus is on Coburn’s (2004) theoretical underpinnings. She identifies five types of response categories to macro demand for change. These categories are: 1) Rejection, which occurs when new ideas are dismissed within schools. 2) Decoupling, refers to symbolic change with no internal influences. 3) Parallel structure, where concurrent approaches are used to meet different forces and priorities within the schools. 4) Assimilation, which refers to situations where messages from the macro level are interoperated and transformed to fit with the existing understanding of educators. And finally, 5) accommodation, the deconstruction of existing understanding to charter new information, leading to major change in teaching practices. The data are also discussed in the light of ideas expounded by Ball et al. (2012) on policy implementation and policy enactment. The findings indicate that most of the responses discussed by the participants fall under Coburn’s (2004) categorisation. The data also brought about an additional sixth category named “pioneering”. The definition of pioneering is when newly established or recently transformed schools are designed around a specific vision and certain pedagogy led by the school leaders who are hired to design the school around new curricular ideas. Among the schools fitting the parallel structures in the study, at least two different nuances of the other categories were identified. There was not complete harmony between what the school leaders perceived and what was discussed by the teachers within the same schools. More inertia to change was observed in the teachers’ attitudes than among school leaders. The findings indicate the importance for school leaders, teachers and the Ministry of Education to be aware of the diverse ideas and different working cultures between and within the schools to understand the varying views and different dynamics within the schools. By understanding those dynamics, these stakeholders may become more competent to facilitate intended change and overcome the diverse obstacles they face in their everyday work.Rannsóknasjóður Háskóla Íslands Nord Forsk - Justice through Education in the Nordic CountriesRitrýnd grei

Upplifun og reynsla skólastjórnenda af breytingum í íslenskum framhaldsskólum samtímans: gagnvirk áhrif einstaklinga, hópa og félagskerfa

Social, political and technological developments bring about change in the global society. However, it is often argued that education does not develop as rapidly and in line with these changes. This study explores how school leaders perceive their roles, power, and agency when leading change at the upper secondary school level in Iceland. School leaders’ perceptions of the interactions between actors and social structures that may facilitate or constrain change are elucidated. The study also identifies what school leaders consider to be the most significant challenges regarding educational change. Twenty-one school leaders in nine upper secondary schools in Iceland were interviewed. Two or three school leaders were selected to be interviewed in each school in relation to the management structure the school. Schools had been selected through stratified sampling based on the school types. The data is discussed in the light of theories on institutions and organisations, institutional and organisational leadership, different response categories for macro-level demands for change, and policy enactment. The findings show complex patterns of interactions between various actors and social structures that impact change across system boundaries of the upper secondary school level in Iceland. The predominant governing culture of upper secondary schooling fell within the institutional characteristics of education. Most of the actors were seen to protect the traditions, values, and norms in the field of education although some of them were seen to support change. The institutional governance plays a significant role in constraining change. Nevertheless, some macro-level and meso-level actors trickled the processes of deinstitutionalisation after external or internal crisis or because of other innovative ideas generated within or between the selected upper secondary schools. In this way, new ideas often travelled horizontally throughout the organisational field of the upper secondary education. The most significant challenge identified by the school leaders when leading change was directly related to the content of academic subjects. School leaders only had partial agency and limited power to promote change in subject content. In contrast, they claimed to have considerable pedagogical leadership in relation to teaching and assessment methods. The nine participating schools enacted the policy in the 2008 legislation and the 2011 national curriculum differently, and it is evident that many self-sustained subunits were seen to be operating within the schools. The most explicit resistance to change was reported to arise from faculty members of traditional academic subjects, in particular mathematics. The school leaders usually responded either as institutional or organisational leaders depending on the issues at stake, the operating dynamics in their respective schools, or the pressure from the macro actors. The apparent isomorphism among education systems worldwide suggests that lessons from Iceland may be valuable for the global school community, both as theoretical and practical contribution.Á alheimsvísu einkennir mikil og hröð þróun samtímann, stjórnmálin og tæknina. Í tengslum við það færa margir rök fyrir því að menntakerfið þróist hægt og alls ekki í takti við aðrar breytingar. Þetta doktorsverkefni varpar ljósi á hvernig skólastjórnendur í íslenskum framhaldsskólum upplifa hlutverk sitt, völd og getu til aðgerða við innleiðingu breytinga. Sýn skólastjórnenda á samspil ólíkra einstaklinga, hópa og félagskerfa sem letja eða hvetja breytingar er einnig skoðuð. Rannsóknin fjallar jafnframt um hvað skólastjórnendur mátu sem sína mestu áskorunina við innleiðingu menntabreytinga. Tekin voru viðtöl við 21 stjórnanda í níu framhaldsskólum víðs vegar um landið. Skólarnir og stjórnendur voru valdir með lagskiptu tilviljanaúrtaki meðal annars út frá tegund skóla, stærð og staðsetningu. Tveir eða þrír skólastjórnendur voru valdir í hverjum skóla út frá stjórnkerfi hvers skóla. Viðtölin eru rædd í ljósi kenninga um stofnanir og skipulagsheildir, kenninga um leiðtoga stofnana annars vegar og skipulagsheilda hins vegar, kenninga um ólík viðbrögð skóla við ytri kröfum um breytingar og kenninga sem varpa ljósi á það hvort breytingar nái í gegn eða ekki. Niðurstöðurnar sýna flókið mynstur gagnkvæmra áhrifa á breytingar, milli ólíkra einstaklinga, hópa og félagskerfa, þvert á mörk framhaldsskólastigsins á Íslandi. Sú menning sem stýrir framhaldsskólastiginu fellur undir einkenni stofnana. Viðmælendur komu með dæmi sem sýndu að flestir áhrifahópar verja þær hefðir sem þar hafa skapast ásamt viðteknum gildum og viðmiðum innan menntunar, á meðan aðrir hópar studdu breytingar. Þessi stofnanastýring er sterkt afl sem á stóran þátt í að hægja á og jafnvel hindra breytingar í framhaldsskólum. Einstaka hópar úr ytra umhverfi skóla sem og innan þeirra komu af stað ferli breytinga í kjölfar ytri eða innri kreppu eða vegna hugmynda um nýbreytni. Með þessum hætti bárust nýjar hugmyndir milli framhaldsskóla. Mesta áskorunin sem skólastjórnendur fjölluðu um við innleiðingu menntabreytinga tengdist inntaki bóknámsáfanga. Þeir lýstu því yfir að þeir gætu lítil áhrif haft á inntak náms og sögðust hafa takmörkuð völd til að ýta undir breytingar á inntaki. Þeir lýstu því aftur á móti hvernig þeir hefðu umtalsverða möguleika til forystu þegar kemur að kennsluháttum og námsmati. Þeir níu framhaldsskólar sem tóku þátt í rannsókninni virkjuðu með ólíkum hætti þá stefnu sem boðuð var með lögunum 2008 og aðalnámskrá 2011. Afar skýrt kemur fram í gögnunum að margar sjálfstætt starfandi einingar voru ráðandi innan skólanna. Skólastjórnendur töldu mesta viðnámið gegn breytingum vera í fagdeildum hefðbundins bóknáms, einkum í stærðfræði. Þeir lýstu dæmum um það hvernig þeir brugðust við sem féllu ýmist undir hugmyndir um leiðtogar stofnana eða leiðtogar skipulagsheilda eftir því hvaða viðfangsefni þeir voru að fást við hverju sinni, ráðandi menningu innan skólans eða vegna utanaðkomandi þrýstings.Peer Reviewe

Klakinn, verkefnabók fyrir nýja Íslendinga

Greinargerð þessi fylgir námsefninu Klakinn, verkefnabók fyrir nýja Íslendinga. Auk verkefnabókarinnar er kennarabók en þar eru að finna lausnir á verkefnum, hugmyndir að hópverkefnum er tengjast leikjum og leiklist og tillögur að námsmati. Einnig fylgir námsefninu geisladiskur þar sem allt ritmál verkefnabókarinnar er lesið upp. Klakinn er ætlaður nýbúum sem hafa þó nokkurn grunn í íslensku. Bókin er samþætting íslensku og samfélagsfræðikennslu þar sem íslenskar hefðir, landshlutar og áhugamál íslenskra unglinga eru kynnt til sögunnar. Í greinargerðinni er verkefnabókinni og markmiðum hennar lýst í stórum dráttum. Fjallað er um nýbúa og nýbúafræðslu á Íslandi, hvernig henni er háttað og hvað skal leggja áherslu á. Einnig er verkið tengt íslenskum fræðimönnum sem gefið hafa út efni hvað varðar fjölmenningu á Íslandi, kennslu nýbúa og skyldur kennara í þessum efnum Lykilorð: Verkefnabók

Börn með námserfiðleika: sjálfsmynd, líðan og skólareynsla þeirra

Background Previous research has shown that learning difficulties usually negatively impact the well-being and self-concept of children in primary school. This is the first Icelandic long-term study to examine the well-being of children with learning difficulties and the development of their self-concept and school perception as they progress from primary to middle school. Aim The main objective of this long-term study was to gain deeper understanding of school-related well-being of children with learning difficulties in Iceland, and the development of their self-concept and school perception during the shift from primary to middle school. The school-related well-being of children with and without learning difficulties was assessed through parental reports. The self-concept of students was assessed repeatedly with questionnaires over a period of four years, from Grade 4 to Grade 8. Over the same period, a comparable group of five children with learning difficulties were interviewed about their schooling, challenges, and coping strategies to get a deeper insight and understanding of their school perception and learning experiences from Grade 4 to Grade 6. Three academic articles have been written and some published focusing on answering research questions relating to: a) parents' assessment of the well-being of Icelandic primary school students with and without learning difficulties, b) a comparison of the development of self-concept of Icelandic primary school students with and without learning difficulties, and c) an examination of the perception of school of five Icelandic primary school students with learning difficulties, what they considered to affect their learning and well-being. The participants’ responses were also examined in terms of whether their attitudes changed during the research period. Method Research collaboration was established with four schools in the capital area of Iceland. Data were collected from autumn 2014 to spring 2017 using quantitative and qualitative methods. Participants were divided into three main groups: a) parents (N = 327) of children in Grade 4 to Grade 7 three schools, b) primary school students in grades 4–8 (N = 264) from four schools in the capital area of Iceland, c) primary school students with learning difficulties in Grade 4 at the beginning of the study (N = 5) from one school. Parents responded to an electronic questionnaire about their children's well-being using the parent versions of KIDSKREEN-52 and KINDLR questionnaires. Students answered six times questionnaires on general self-concept, academic self-concept, and self-concept in reading and mathematics from autumn 2014 to spring 2017. Questions from The Self-Perception Profile for Learning. Disabled Students were used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five students on four occasions from autumn 2014 to spring 2017. Results The school-related well-being of children with learning difficulties turned out to be moderately to much worse (d = 0.45 – 0.88) than that of students without learning difficulties, according to parental assessment. The well-being of children with special needs, who regularly took special education classes, was better (d = 0.7) in terms of communicating with family than children with learning difficulties who did not receive special education, according to parental assessment. Children who received only special education in a separate classroom were much more (d = 1.16) comfortable interacting with their family. The study on self-concept revealed that the average annual development of general self-concept in children with learning difficulties was positive during the research period (Δz = 0.2). However, throughout the study period, academic self-concept was much lower on average among students with learning difficulties (Δz = -0.7) compared to students without learning difficulties. Especially, self-concept in reading was very much lower on average for children with learning difficulties (Δz = -1.3) compared to their peers. Self-concept in mathematics was also much lower on average (Δz = -0.8) for children with learning difficulties during the study period. The interviews conducted with the same students with learning difficulties over a four-year period revealed that they generally felt comfortable at school, and that their well-being seemed most dependent on social interactions and friendships with other students. Solid connections with teachers were also considered important and that teachers were kind, fair, and caring. Participants reported struggling with understanding instructions in general education classes and valued the special education classes, as they provided better instruction and quieter conditions to focus and learn. Attitudes towards homework worsened with the increasing age of the participants. Findings of the present study support and extend results from prior studies, showing that Icelandic students with learning difficulties face similar barriers as students in other western countries. The results underline the importance of finding effective ways to improve the academic progress of students with learning difficulties, as well as well-being and self-concept with the support of school staff and administrators.Bakgrunnur Fyrri rannsóknir á högum barna hafa sýnt að námserfiðleikar hafa neikvæð áhrif á líðan og sjálfsmynd barna á grunnskólaaldri. Þetta er fyrsta íslenska langtímarannsóknin þar sem líðan og reynsla barna með námserfiðleika af skólagöngu sinni er könnuð. Markmið Meginmarkmið þessarar langtímarannsóknar var að varpa ljósi á reynslu barna með námserfiðleika af skólagöngu sinni, sjálfsmynd þeirra og skólatengda líðan. Í þeim tilgangi voru foreldrar barna með og án námserfiðleika beðnir um að meta skólatengda líðan barna sinna. Börnin sjálf mátu sjálfsmynd sína endurtekið yfir fjögurra ára tímabil. Á sama tíma var rætt við börn með námserfiðleika um skólagöngu sína, áskoranir og bjargráð, til að fá dýpri innsýn og skilning á þeirra aðstæðum í skólanum frá 4. bekk upp í 7. bekk. Þrjár fræðigreinar hafa verið ritaðar sem beindust að því að svara rannsóknarspurningum sem snúa að a) mati foreldra á líðan grunnskólanemenda með og án námserfiðleika, b) samanburði á þróun sjálfsmyndar hjá grunnskólanemendum með og án námserfiðleika, og c) athugun á reynslu fimm grunnskólanemenda með námserfiðleika, hvað þau telja hafa áhrif á nám þeirra og líðan, og hvort viðhorf þeirra breytast á rannsóknartímanum. Aðferðir Þátttakendur skiptust í þrjá meginhópa: a) foreldrar (N = 327) barna í þremur skólum, b) grunnskólanemendur í 4. – 8. bekk (N = 264) frá fjórum skólum á höfuðborgarsvæðinu, c) grunnskólanemendur (N = 5) frá einum skóla. Gögnum var safnað frá hausti 2014 til vors 2017 með megindlegum og eigindlegum aðferðum. Foreldrar svöruðu rafrænum spurningalista að hausti 2014 um líðan barna sinna þar sem stuðst var við foreldraútgáfur KIDSKREEN-52 og KINDLR spurningalistana. Nemendur svöruðu spurningalistum um almenna sjálfsmynd, námslega sjálfsmynd, sjálfsmynd í lestri og stærðfræði, í sex skipti frá hausti 2014 til vors 2017. Stuðst var við spurningar úr The Self-Perception Profile for Learning. Disabled Students spurningalistanum. Hálfstöðluð viðtöl voru tekin við fimm nemendur í fjögur skipti frá hausti 2014 til vors 2017. Niðurstöður Mat foreldra á líðan barna sinna reyndist töluvert til mikið verra (d = 0,45 – 0,88) hjá börnum með sérþarfir en hjá jafnöldrum án sérþarfa. Samkvæmt mati foreldra var líðan barna með sérþarfir sem fóru reglulega í sérkennslutíma þó mikið betri (d = 0,7) hvað snerti samskipti við fjölskyldu en barna með sérþarfir sem fengu ekki sérkennslu. Börn sem fengu sérkennslu í sérrými áttu í mun jákvæðari (d = 1,16) samskiptum við fjölskyldu sína. Þróun almennrar sjálfsmyndar hjá börnum með námserfiðleika reyndist jákvæð frá einu ári til annars (Δz = 0,2). Á rannsóknartímanum reyndist námsleg sjálfsmynd hjá nemendum með námserfiðleika að meðaltali mikið lægri (Δz = -0,7) en hjá nemendum án námserfiðleika. Sjálfsmynd í lestri var að meðaltali mun lægri á rannsóknartímanum (Δz = -1,3) hjá nemendum með námserfiðleika samanborið við jafnaldra án námserfiðleika. Sjálfsmynd í stærðfræði var einnig að meðaltali mikið lægri hjá sama hópi (Δz = -0,8) samanborið við jafnaldra án námserfiðleika á umræddu tímabili. Viðtölin sem tekin voru við sömu nemendur með námserfiðleika yfir fjögurra ára tímabil leiddu í ljós að þeim leið almennt vel í skólanum, en líðan þeirra var mest háð félagstengslum og vináttuböndum við aðra nemendur. Þau töldu mikilvægt að ná góðum tengslum við kennara í sérkennslu. Viðmælendur mátu sérkennslutímana mikils, því þar væri hægt að fá meiri frið til að læra og meira næði væri til að einbeita sér og meðtaka námsefnið. Viðhorf gagnvart heimanámi versnaði með hækkandi aldri þátttakenda. Niðurstöður eru í samræmi við fyrri rannsóknir og sýna að íslenskir nemendur með námserfiðleika búa við áþekkar hindranir og nemendur erlendis. Mikilvægt er að styðja vel við námsframvindu barna með námserfiðleika og finna leiðir til að styrkja sjálfsmynd þeirra og líðan í skóla með stuðningi frá starfsmönnum skóla og skólayfirvalda.Rannsóknamiðstöð Íslands (Rannís styrkur #141905053). Háskólasjóður Háskóla Íslands. Námsleyfasjóður kennara og stjórnenda grunnskóla